Pragmatic clinical trials at the National Institute of Nursing Research.

BACKGROUND: Pragmatic clinical trials are used to test the efficacy of interventions in a real-world clinical practice setting.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this article was to summarize the presentation given at the Council on Advancement of Nursing Science 2017 Meeting.

METHODS: Key science focus areas of the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines relevant to pragmatic clinical trials were reviewed.

DISCUSSION: The NIH supports some large-scale pragmatic trials and NINR participates in two of them. Generally, the NINR supports small-scale pragmatic trials that are a mission fit with the NINR. Now pragmatic trials are subject to the new NIH clinical trial requirements.

CONCLUSION: Investigators must respond to a specific clinical trial announcement and use the new clinical trial application forms. The NINR program staff are a valuable resource to answer questions that investigators may have regarding their pragmatic clinical trial proposal.